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More than half of the immigrants who entered the country as of 2022 are unemployed

A report by the Center for Immigration Studies revealed that "only about 8 percent of the 2.5 million new arrivals who are not working say they are actively looking for work." Only 49% were employed at the beginning of this year.

Montaje del presidente Biden sobre un grupo de inmigrantes vigilado por agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza.

(Voz Media/Cordon Press)

Published by
Verónica Silveri Pazos

A report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) revealed more than half of the immigrants who entered the country as of 2022 are unemployed. Likewise, the study detailed that "only about 8 percent of the 2.5 million new arrivals who are not working say they are actively looking for work."

According to the analysis, only 49% of migrants who entered the country since 2022 were employed at the beginning of this year:

The figures show that in the first quarter of 2024, 46 percent of those who arrived in 2022 or later were employed. Many new immigrants are children, elderly, disabled, caregivers, or others with no ability or interest in working. Immigration clearly adds workers to the country, but it just as clearly adds non-workers who need to be supported by the labor of others. This was the case in the past, it is true today, and it will surely be the case for immigrants who arrive in the future. 

Steven A. Camarota and Karen Zeigler, CIS researchers and authors of the study stated:

Those who simply see immigration as a source of labor need to understand it is also a source of school children, retirees, and many other non-workers.

Immigration by Veronica Silveri

Migrant population increased by approximately 6.6 million

The report also highlighted that the migrant population increased by around 6.6 million people since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.

The current scale of immigration (legal and illegal) into the United States is without any precedent in the nation’s history. In March 2024 the foreign-born population reached 51.6 million, 5.1 million more than in March 2022 — the largest two-year increase ever recorded in American History. Moreover, 15.6 percent of the U.S. population is now foreign-born — the largest share on record.

The researchers noted that "many advocates for the unauthorized argue they should be given work permits so they can support themselves while they await a court date. Of course, others worry that this would only incentivize more illegal immigration. In 2024, a larger share of new arrivals were unauthorized relative to prior years due to the ongoing border crisis."

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